China bans exports of key minerals used in semiconductors and batteries to the US, in response to US tightening restrictions on semiconductors to prevent their diversion to military use
China has announced that it will ban the export of gallium, germanium, and antimony to the United States, which are used to manufacture valuable products such as weapons and semiconductors. This is believed to be an attempt to counter the United States, which has long blocked the export of high-performance semiconductors to China in order to prevent their diversion for military use.
China Announces a Ban on Rare Minerals to the US - The New York Times
China bans export of critical minerals to US as trade tensions escalate | Reuters
https://www.reuters.com/markets/commodities/china-bans-exports-gallium-germanium-antimony-us-2024-12-03/
China hits US with ban on critical minerals used in tech manufacturing - Ars Technica
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2024/12/china-retaliates-bans-exports-of-rare-metals-after-us-chip-ban/
According to Reuters and other sources, on December 3, 2024, China's Ministry of Commerce stated that 'sales of gallium, germanium, antimony, and other materials to the United States will be immediately suspended on the grounds that these materials have dual military and civilian uses.' Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian told reporters, 'China firmly opposes the United States' 'excessive expansion of the concept of national security' and will take resolute measures to safeguard the interests of Chinese companies.'
China is a major producer of critical minerals needed to manufacture semiconductors and other advanced technologies, and is also the world's largest producer of gallium and germanium, which are essential in products such as semiconductors, car batteries and solar panels.
In 2023, China created a legal framework to control exports of gallium and germanium, adding antimony, which is used in military explosives, on September 15. In October, it began requiring exporters of rare earths, which are used in everything from advanced semiconductors to smart bombs, to gradually disclose how the metals are used in Western supply chains.
As a result of these frameworks, exports of gallium and germanium have been suspended in 2023, and shipments to the United States have not fully recovered, forcing the United States to rely on purchasing semi-processed products from countries such as Japan that buy directly from China.
The announcement came a day after the US tightened export controls on high-bandwidth memory (HBM) to China. In the wake of
The United States tightens export controls on high-bandwidth memory (HBM) due to concerns about China's military use of AI, adding 140 Chinese companies to the Entity List - GIGAZINE
In response to the U.S. restrictions, Chinese industry associations representing business sectors such as semiconductor and auto manufacturing have also issued statements calling on Chinese companies to buy more semiconductors domestically or from other countries outside the United States.
President-elect Donald Trump has pledged his own aggressive measures to further reduce trade between the two countries, including by imposing tariffs of more than 60% on Chinese products, during his election campaign.
China has criticized the US's technology restrictions as 'illegal,' with spokesman Lin Jian saying such actions 'seriously undermine the international economic and trade order, disrupt the stability of global production and supply chains, and harm the interests of all countries.'
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